13 Essential Equipment for Music Video Production
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These days, we are provided with plenty of options that yield professional results even at a low to mid-range price point. With the right equipment, pretty much anyone can make a high-quality video.
It’s safe to say that music videos aren’t all that different from cinematic travel vlogs, short films, and other types of video content that non-professional creators usually produce. The only difference is that a music video will require more sound-related equipment aside from the basic filming gear that’s common in cinematography—particularly if the artist will be singing live.
Whether you’re an aspiring singer or amateur videographer, creating a music video can be a highly rewarding project when done right. Check out our guide on how to shoot your own music video if you need some help with the basics. Otherwise, here’s a helpful list of the equipment you will need to produce a music video of your own:
HOREM - Definition and Meaning
HOREM - Definition and Meaning
3. Video Lighting Kit
4. Interchangeable Lenses
5. Headphones
6. Music Player
7. Speakers
8. Microphones
9. External Camera Monitor
10. Digital Audio Recorder
11. Extra Batteries and Memory Cards
12. Video Editing Software
1.Camera
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| Panasonic AG-UX90 4K/HD Professional Camcorder |
The most important tool that you need is, of course, the camera. Everything else is dispensable, depending on how professional or high-budget you want your production to be. You can even use a smartphone with a reasonably good camera, but ideally you would want a more feature-packed camera that can deliver your desired video quality.
You can use professional cinema cameras, camcorders, DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, action cameras, and even a drone (preferably one with a superb camera like the DJI Mavic Pro).
One great option is the Panasonic AG-UX90 4K/HD Professional Camcorder ($1795), which can record 4K (up to 30p) and FHD (up to 60p) and has eight gamma modes, manual focus, intelligent and customizable autofocus, a built-in optical neutral density filter wheel, and an integrated 15x optical zoom lens.
It also features a 3.5-inch LCD touch screen and 5-axis Hybrid Image Stabilizer to help eliminate camera shake during handheld shooting.
Mirrorless and DSLR cameras are also great options if you want a more lightweight and compact camera, but make sure to choose one with the right features and capabilities for your needs. Keep in mind that 4K video recording is still quite uncommon in DSLR cameras that are under the high-end bracket, so if you’re looking to create a music video in 4K, you might want to look into some mirrorless options instead.
2.Tripod or Gimbal Stabilizer
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| Manfrotto Befree Live Aluminum Video Tripod |
No one wants to watch shaky footage, right?
Unless you’re going for the kind of music video that is only shot from one angle, in which case you can simply place your camera on a table or any flat surface, it is essential to stabilize your camera with a device such as a tripod, monopod, or a gimbal stabilizer.
If a tripod is more your speed, the Manfrotto Befree Live Aluminum Video Tripod Kit($230.31) is a great choice. It can support up to 8.8lbs of weight, which makes it perfect for DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, and small camcorders fitted with other supplementary accessories. It is specifically designed for on-the-go videographers and vloggers, featuring an M-lock twist lock system for quick and secure operation and adjustable leg angles for shooting various perspectives.
It also offers 360° of pan movement and comes with a Befree Live Fluid Head with a fluid drag system that keeps your camera perfectly balanced.
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| hiyun Gimbal Stabilizer |
For handheld shooting, a gimbal stabilizer helps reduce vibration and camera shake. It also allows more versatile shots, such as when you need to glide along with a moving subject. In some cases, it can even serve as a mount for your microphone. If you’re looking for a reasonably priced gimbal, the Zhiyun Gimbal Stabilizer ($349) works well with most mirrorless cameras and reacts well to sudden movements.
3.Video Lighting Kit
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| Rotolight NEO 3 Light Kit |
A good lighting kit is essential to any video shoot in order to ensure great quality footage in all lighting conditions. Whether indoor or outdoor, a fully customizable lighting setup can help your videos attain a particular look, mood, and feel, aside from properly lighting the scene.
If you want an all-in-one package, the Rotolight NEO-II 3 Light Kit ($1729.99) guarantees stellar music video lighting on location or in the studio. It comes with three LED lighting fixtures, lighting stands, hot-shoe mount adapters, 360° ball head swivels, power supplies, and an injection-molded, weather-resistant case with wheels and a retractable handle for superior protection and on-the-go portability. It also has advanced features that allow for creative and intuitive lighting, including True Aperture Dimming, CineSFX, and Designer Fade Mode.
On the other hand, some productions won’t require a full lighting kit. You can get away with simply using an on-camera video light mounted on your camera of choice, or perhaps one continuous lighting source that you can position anywhere you desire.
4.Interchangeable Lenses
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| Rokinon 50mm T1.5 Cine DS Lens |
Depending on the requirements of your video, lenses may or may not be necessary. It may not even be an option for you, particularly if you’re using a camcorder as most often don’t have an interchangeable lens option. Nonetheless, lenses offer certain advantages and creative capabilities that can help you achieve a certain look and feel, or perhaps a certain creative shot that you would like to incorporate. At the very least, they can definitely help make your music video look more professional.
If your camera allows you to use interchangeable lenses, make sure to choose a lens that is optimized for cinematography. These are called cine lenses, and they are specifically designed to meet the needs and requirements of videographers and filmmakers. A good example would be the Rokinon 50mm T1.5 Cine DS Lens ($499), which is a manual focus prime lens with advanced low light capabilities and impressive shallow depth of field control. It features focus and aperture control rings that are outfitted with industry standard gearing to facilitate usage with a traditional follow focus system. If you want to give your music video beautiful background blur and stunning bokeh, you may want to go with a lens like this.
Lenses are mostly optional, but if you think that your production will benefit from a good specialized cine lens, make sure to evaluate your needs before purchasing.
5.Headphones
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| Sony MDR-7506 Headphones |
In a music video shoot, headphones play an important part in sound monitoring. It may not be too important if the band will be lipsyncing along with the music that will be added in later on, but headphones, specifically those designed for monitoring, are a must-have for ensuring sound quality and audio consistency of live music video performances.
Professional headphones like the Sony MDR-7506 ($99.99) can help you (or your sound technician) monitor the live audio to ensure accuracy and sound quality. Its closed-ear design is also beneficial as it reduces external noise interference while ensuring maximum comfort for long video shoots.
6.Music Player
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Having a music player will come in handy for several purposes during the shoot. If you or your musical artist will be lipsyncing, they will still need to hear the actual music playing so they can listen and lipsync the words accurately. It will also help you or your video editor with differentiating which takes go with which parts of the song later on in the post-processing stage, as they will be able to hear the song playing along with the footage.
You can of course use your phone or tablet, but for those who prefer to have a dedicated music player, there are quite a few options available. The Apple 32GB iPod touch 6th Generation ($209) is a versatile music player that gives you multiple options for playing your music—from its internal storage and even from online streaming sites via its built-in WiFi connectivity.
7.Speakers
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| Bose 3.6″ SoundLink Revolve+ Bluetooth Speaker |
A music video shoot requires good speakers, especially when the artists need to lipsync. But of course, the size and power will depend on your specific needs. Will you be shooting indoors or in different locations? These and other aspects of your music video production will influence what type of speakers you need, but typically it’s best to use portable ones with multiple connectivity options.
The Bose 3.6″ SoundLink Revolve+ Bluetooth Speaker ($299) is a highly compact and portable speaker, but don’t let its size fool you—this speaker is engineered to spread powerful, high-quality sound in every direction, thus enabling the whole production team to hear and track the music during the filming process. It’s also waterproof and knock-proof, making it perfect for more rugged video shoots.
8.External Microphone
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| Sennheiser MKE 600 Shotgun Microphone |
Like music players, microphones play a huge part in the monitoring and syncing process, more so for live performances. Depending on the purpose, you’ll need specific kinds of microphones that will help you achieve your desired sound quality and coverage. The built-in mic in your camera will do if you don’t need to record sound from where you’re shooting, but you may still want an external microphone to be able to record sounds and vocals from a greater distance.
Shotgun microphones are common in music video production, as its interference tube reduces unnecessary noise and picks up clear audio from one direction. The Sennheiser MKE 600($369.95) is able to focus on the sounds you want to record while eliminating unnecessary noise. It has a foam windshield to reduce wind noise, a switchable low-cut filter to help with wind and handling noise attenuation, and a camera shoe and shock mount for easy mounting on your camera.
It’s also good to be equipped with a boom pole to provide convenience in holding your shotgun microphone towards the direction of the sound source. Also, a shock mount may be worth the investment as well as it is specifically designed to fasten and connect your microphone to a mic stand or boom pole while keeping the mic from picking up any unwanted noise that’s usually caused by vibrations. The Rycote Universal Shotgun Mount ($49.95), which is specifically designed for video cameras and boom poles, can effectively withstand shock and isolate vibrations.
9.External Camera Monitor
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| Blackmagic Design Video Assist 4K 7″ Touchscreen LCD Monitorv |
An external monitor serves as an extra viewfinder for the director and the rest of the production team. Common in filmmaking, external monitors give a live stream of what’s being recorded by the video camera, so you can make sure you get your desired shots and won’t miss little details that may require a retake. The Blackmagic Design Video Assist 4K 7″ Touchscreen LCD Monitor ($895) can be easily set up with your video camera and has a bright 7-inch touchscreen that allows you to monitor your shots even under bright daylight.
11.Digital Audio Recorder
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| Tascam DR-05 Portable Handheld Digital Audio Recorder |
Digital audio recorders are handy tools because video cameras are not equipped to capture clear sound on their own. To capture professional audio, an audio recorder can be mounted directly to your DSLR or camcorder or can be plugged into a microphone. This is only really needed if you plan to record the artist or band as they play the song live, or if you want to record dialogue as well.
The Tascam DR-05 Portablrudeboyrudeboye Handheld Digital Audio Recorder ($79.99) is a simple and portable audio recorder powerhouse that can accommodate audio recordings with 96kHz/24-bit high-resolution audio to microSD or microSDHC media.
12.Extra Batteries and Memory Cards
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| 4SanDisk Extreme PRO 64GB Memory Card |
Music video shoots normally take long hours—maybe even days. For undisturbed filming, you’ll definitely need extra power for your camera and other battery-operated gear such as your lighting equipment and portable audio recorder. You will also be recording a huge amount of data, so make sure to have plenty of backup memory cards.
The SanDisk Extreme PRO 64GB Memory Card (), for example, has write speeds of up to 90MB/s, supports full HD and 4K UHD video recording, and even works with the downloadable RescuePRO® Deluxe data recovery software so you won’t have to worry about accidentally deleting your data.
13.Video Editing Software
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| Adobe Photoshop Elements 15 and Premiere Elements 15 |
Once you’ve finished recording, you’ll definitely need a good video editing software to edit and polish your music video. If you’re handing this part off to a professional video editor, then you won’t have to worry about purchasing editing software. But if you’re planning to do all of it yourself, then choosing a good video editing platform is essential in ensuring that you are able to achieve your vision for the music video.
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